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Thursday, December 30, 2010

I really had no plan of making this little ditty, but I saw shiny foil cupcake wrappers and as I find myself influenced byAunt Peaches creative uses for culinary accessories, I was sold.

So to start with, I bought 3 containers of the cupcake wrappers and it ended up being just enough.

P.S. You get double the papers since there is a white liner between the foil ones...just look at the pile of crafting fodder I have left! Maybe I'll have to make a Lotus Blossom Ball like Aunt Peaches' in the link above.

You'll need:

Some kind of large ball, I used a paper lantern from Halloween (Dollar Store item!)

Foil Cupcake Wrappers

Hot Glue and Gun

1) Begin by gluing the wrappers onto the ball. **Remember that foil heats very well so be careful.

2.) When the ball is covered, you will glue another wrapper inside the ones already attached. First squish it a little...

...then glue it into the center of a wrapper.

I don't know if you can tell what you're looking at, but take a look at the wrappers below and you'll see the difference.

That's really it. Just hang it in a spot where it will catch the light and you will have a beautiful party decoration.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Ahhh New Year's Eve... proof that there really is something even gaudier than Christmas decorations (I say this with a great deal of fondness). Christmas may have the childlike, multicolored, cuteness, but New Year's Eve? Well NYE has all the spangle and sparkle of a Vegas Show Girl's undies.

In that vein, what could be more fun than a mini disco ball as you watch that famed ball drop? This would also work for a kid or tween's themed party.

For this you will need:

Styrofoam Craft Balls (I used 3 in)

A Bag O' Sequins (for a traditional disco ball look, you can use all silver)

Silver Straight Pins

Ribbon

First, I used a little hot glue to attach the ends of my ribbon to the Styrofoam ball.

For added strength, I started pinning sequins right on top of the ribbon.

Continue pinning the sequins to cover the ball surface.

(Fairly) Soon, you will have a little disco ball, ready for the dance party! 5...4...3...2...

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Those of you from my Facebook Friends, will know what's coming. I made a pair of these for myself just a few months ago, and I love them. Jean Pocket slippers are fun, a little funky, and a great way to use the stylish back pockets from jeans that have seen better days.

So here is the how-to for Jean Pocket Slippers (Sorry for the poor picture quality. I had to use my phone camera):

You will Need:

A pair of jeans with back pockets

Stuffing (i.e. batting scraps, fiber fill, or foam)

Puffy Paint

1.) To start with, measure your feet, length and width. Add 1.5 inches to each measurement. [For point of reference, I wear size 6.5 to 7 in (U.S) Women's shoes and I will be using my measurements] Draw and cut out a rectangle of these dimensions on paper. Round off one of the short ends.

Mine is 5 inches wide and 10.5 inches long.

2.) Using a seam ripper, detach the back pockets from your jeans, and press the edges open.

You will notice the pocket pieces are larger than your jean pieces... if they aren't you won't have room to slip your feet into them. To pin the pockets in the proper place, put the points of the pocket at the edges of your Jean pieces. Then adjust the straight sides of the pocket so that they match the side edges of the jean piece.

Here, one side is done so you can see the difference.

Once pinned you can trim the fabric following the points of the pocket.

5.) Starting where the jean piece begins to curve, sew 1/4 inch around the edge (catching all the layers) and stop on the opposite side where the curve begins. This leaves the back open for stuffing. For added durability, I like to zig-zag the edge.

6.) Turn right-side out, and stuff.

This may seem like a lot of batting, but as the slippers are used, the batting will smoosh down.

7.) Starting under the pocket, top stitch around the back edge folding in the open curve edges. (you can also top stitch around the pocket if you prefer)

8.) Lastly, to avoid slippy-sliding use puffy paint to make tread lines on the bottom. Your slippers will be ready to wear when the paint is dry.

These look great when you use the pockets with rhinestones and special embroidery!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

If it wasn't for Thrift (second-hand) stores, I might just sink into a Post-Yard Sale Season depression. I do love a good deal.

I found this beauty recently.

Not so flattering, eh? Yep, it's a full-length, red plaid, wrap around skirt...about 2 sizes too big. Believe it or not, the fact that it reminded me of a blanket actually was a selling point for me (it's cold here in Michigan!). However since I didn't want it to remain blanket-like in appearance, I cut off the plaid dreads going down the one side.

and a quick flip and stitch to keep that edge from raveling...

Next I shortened it to just below my knee (in hindsight I should have cut it just a little shorter, but I was winging it).

Then took it in on each side.

It's pretty much fully lined... how awesome is THAT!?

Now that I had my basic skirt, I wanted to spice it up a little bit. So I cut a nice curve in the front panel.

I don't have a serger, so I finished the edges with a zig zag stitch.

Now as to the extra fabric I cut from the length... I cut the strip in half length-wise, then sewed a hem in one of the strips (the other still had the original hem) and finished the raw edges with a zig zag.